That Day
by Alex Verse Naberrie
Summary: "Happy Birthday, Sherlock!" That day is never easy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sherlock lost in S2 and must work for Jim.**

**8.00 am, Bedroom, Private Royal Apartment, Ritz Hotel, Paris**

"Another beautiful day in heaven" Sherlock said and glanced at the other side of the bed. Basing on the cold empty space, Jim had to wake up a longer while ago. "Let's hope that it'll pass quickly. Achoo!"

**9.00 am, Kitchen**

"Sherlock? Oh, you got up. Wonderful!"

"Izzy? What are you doing here?" Sherlock looked up from his breakfast at the elegant lady, who entered the room.

"Oh, you know: beauty, love, Paris, many rich people who just want to disappear for a couple of days..."

"... and your speciality for making sure to know everything and report to the one, who pay more." Sherlock put in.

"Of course, dear. Jim has always been a generous customer. But less about me and more about you. Happy Birthday!"

"What?"

"Today are your birthday, silly. And this is my gift for you."

"No, it's not."

"It is! I asked Jim, so don't deny it."

"Damm."

"Oh and this is my gift from Jim to you."

"..."

"He wouldn't buy you a present (and no matter how much he loves you, he would pick something dreadful), so I made sure to get a gift, which would suit us all."

"Charming." the detective commented without enthusiasm. Lady Isadora Klein was marvellous in her job, but unfortunately had a specific opinion of how all romantic couples should behave.

"See? Make sure to read the greeting card, before you open it."

"Achoo!"

"Bless you." She looked at Sherlock's sudden runny nose. "And maybe drink a hot tea."

**9.30 am, Apartment's Hall**

"Hey, lucky boy!"

"Achoo! Don't you dare to _happy birthday_ me, Sebastian."

"So it's today?"

"Dammit, you didn't know."

"Why would I?" Moran shrugged. The strong man could be Moriarty's right hand, but irrelevant private facts hardly concerned him.(Instead of Izzy, who just loved to collect them all.)

"Achoo!"

"Are you getting a cold?"

"I'll be fine." Holmes touched his temple. It seemed that the universe to _humour _him decided to give him a headache as well. "Just need to take an aspirin and so on."

"As you say, pal. You have a call." Moran handed him one of Jim's special mobile phones.

"Who's that?"

"Your brother."

"I don't want to talk to him."

"Boss insisted. Actually, they both want to know if you managed to hack into Le Fleurs' bank account."

"As if they don't have other people, who..."

"Don't even start. There isn't anyone better than you, so take it and be done." Sebastian pushed the phone into Sherlock's hands."And happy birthday."

"Why you...Achoo!"

Moran only laughed and took his place a few steps from the detective.

"Don't be a child, brother dear. " Holmes heard an annoying voice. "So, I can see that you failed."

"I'll finish it soon. Achoo!"

"Dress warmly, it's cold outside."

"Seriously?! Le Fleurs. More time. I. Will. Do. It.! Anything else?"

"No."

"Really? You don't want to mention any other particular uncomfortable phrase?"

"Excuse me?"

It was dangerous to have both Holmes brothers talk, however Jim allowed for it only in particular circumstances and if the project was very important. Also with the list of permitted words, but from what Sherlock noticed, the hateful expression could be used.

"Especially today?"

"Sherlock!"

"All right, all right. Nothing."

"Good to hear it. Athena should be at your place in any moment."

"I don't need her."

"I'm aware of that. As talented as my assistant is, she hardly would manage to point you in the right direction. Athena is delivering my documents to your warden."

"You... Achoo!"

"And Happy Birthday, brother dear."

"What!? Mycroft!"

Seeing that the call had ended, Moran quickly picked away the mobile from the detective and stepped back.

"Boss is the only one, who can destroy things. You don't get any allowances, even if it's your day."

"It's not!"

"Athena is here, birthday boy."

"Oh, Mr. Holmes, I would like to say..."

"IT IS NOT MY BIRTHDAY!

**10 am, Moriarty's Cabinet **

"Jim? Do you have a moment?"

"Do I look like I have, Izzy?"

"So, you really don't want to know why Sebastian is dragging almost dead Athena out of the hall?"

**4 pm, Salon **

When they gave Sherlock the job and not much information, what they wanted to find at Le Fleurs' bank account, he wasn't excited. (Money was so boring.) Probably, they wanted to connect the woman's billings with particular sources.

"Achoo!"

"Bless you."

"Thank you, Lady Smallwood."

As Mycroft's powerful colleague and two advisors were patiently waiting for Moriarty to come, Sherlock got another proof that it had to be really important.

"May I ask you to summarize what have you found again, Mr. Holmes?"

In any other situation, Sherlock would ignore the request, but presently he just wanted to do anything if only to somehow survive next eight hours.

"Yes, of course. It was... Achoo!"

"It's not a good day to be ill." one of the men commented.

"What?"

"In my opinion the weather is quite nice, even for this time of the year. It would be a waste to spend the time indoors."

"If you say so... Achoo!"

"I have something for you. I bought it today." Lady Smallwood said, taking a pity on the Holmes' poor state.

"No, don't you dare!"

"Excuse me?"

"I won't take any presents!"

"These are only tablets with vitamin C."

Sherlock looked at the women. He really was sick, the detective didn't even notice the runny nose of the MP.

"Behave, Mr. Holmes! You may not feel well, but we don't need another agitated man in the room." She sighed. "Moreover, adding a new year to you lifetime doesn't have to be depressing. Don't look surprised, Mycroft told me."

"Oh, a Happy ..." one of advisors started, but stopped when Sherlock leaned down, took the man's expensive pen and broke in half.


	2. Chapter 2

**9 pm, Bedroom**

"You idiot!"

"Ouch. What? What's wrong? Stop hitting me with pillow, Jim!"

"You dare asking!? You were supposed to finish the job ages ago, but nooooo. You got ill and thanks to you we had to cancel everything. Le Fleurs is a pain in a**, for years she blocked my major projects in France and when a chance appeared - you just wasted it!"

"I still have time! Achoo!"

"There is NO time! I'd make you into my new leather jacket, if you weren't so valuable. Stars, Izzy would do it for free. Or Smallwood. No, scratch it, she is probably already organizing a sniper to take you down."

"And Mycroft? Achoo!" Sherlock asked, just to humour himself.

"He'd insist to kill you in your sleep, so you wouldn't feel any pain."

"Ouch. Stop!"

"If in next few days, there would be a third world war, you are dead!"

"Good, at least I wouldn't have to suffer anymore."

"Listen, I know that you are upset about your birthday..." Moriarty laid down the pillow and crossed his arms.

"I'm not! Achoo!"

"... but I had enough! Put down the laptop, take hot bath and go straight to bed."

"I told you, I'm fine!"

"You are a moving factory of viruses and I won't...mpf.. Sherlo... stop it... STOP!" The criminal managed to push the detective away. "Instead of you, I can take care of myself and kissing me won't make me ill."

"Blast the modern medicine."

"To bed," Jim covered Sherlock with blanket. "only 3 more hours and it'll be over. And don't even imagine that you are out of problems, because as soon as you are well, you'll clean this mess."

"I'm not bothered by it."

"Sure, drama queen."

"Why is it even important? Achoo! Birthday, I mean. It's just a simple day in calender, which, wow, marks your age for pure statistics needs. Do people really think that something magical will happen? That they are somehow more relevant? No, they aren't because it's a real world. Stupid. Useless. Achoo!"

Jim didn't add _you would like it, don't you?_

"When I was small, I waited ages to be eighteen and move out, dreaming that somehow it would be better. Nothing changes, nothing will... Mycroft has been always telling me that I won't reach forties."

Moriarty sat down next to him. He was more than angry, but this vulnerable Holmes was something, what he didn't see every day. Who have thought that a simple cold could have such amazing effect?

"We're in same age, Sherlock."

"What?"

"We were born in the same year."

The detective looked uncertain for a moment, from what his fuzzy mind was telling him, no one actually knew Moriarty's exact age. Nobody cared. What for? MI6 was much more interested in Jim's next criminal project than sending him a birthday present. For Sherlock, it meant much more.

"Don't worry, I also don't plan to survive until forty. Who would want to? It'd be surely boring."

"I hope that your birthday's date don't match mine." Holmes wanted to say something different, anything different, but all ideas seemed to vanish.

"As much as I'd love that unfortunately - no." he kissed Sherlock's temple. "Sleep and get well. We will have of lot of work in coming time."

"Eh, all right."

"And until next year, birthday boy."

"It isn't funny, Jim."

**London**

In small flat, an ex-soldier raised his glass and wished his dearest friend all the best. He wasn't certain if it was really that day, but he hoped against hope that somehow it was and they would meet each other again.


End file.
